RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
Offered is „AMT Tempest Lab Series 1“ by ESS Labs as second-hand device from the category „Compact Speaker“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 7101749403 ends on 31.10.2026 at 07:18 o'clock.
The timing matters because this is a later Tempest/Lab-era ESS rather than the earliest classic Heil models, so value depends more on which version and what’s been preserved than on simple age alone. At €1,480, the asking price looks ambitious versus recent used Tempest/Lab listings I can find, which include examples around €200–€650 for lower-tier or looser-condition pieces, while a Lab Series 1 has also been listed at €1,480 and auction references put some Tempest Lab Series 2 pairs near €2,500 retail historically.
If this is a clean, complete pair of a desirable Lab variant, the upside is the signature Heil AMT presentation: fast, open highs, strong imaging, and that vivid ESS character that still has a following. A well-kept set with original drivers, intact surrounds/passives, and matching cosmetics can be a rewarding buy; just make sure the exact version, cabinet integrity, and all original parts are confirmed, because at this price those details matter more than the badge alone.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
ESS is best known as ESS Technology, a U.S. semiconductor company founded by Forrest Mozer in 1983 as Electronic Speech Systems. It began in California and grew from speech and multimedia chips into a specialist in audio conversion silicon, with its later identity strongly tied to digital audio technology rather than finished consumer hi-fi products.
The company’s core focus is audio DACs and ADCs—especially the SABRE family—used by manufacturers in audio, mobile, automotive, and professional equipment. In hi-fi terms, ESS is not primarily a maker of amplifiers, speakers, turntables, or headphones; instead, it supplies the conversion chips that sit inside many third-party components.
In the market, ESS has a technical, high-performance, component-supplier reputation rather than a consumer brand identity. Among informed audiophiles it is often associated with high-end and upper-mid-tier digital playback, while also being somewhat niche because its name usually appears inside other brands’ products rather than on the front panel. It is a respected engineering brand, but not a vintage collector name in the usual sense.
See all ESS listings on RADAR.
